Friends!!

May 30th Friday 

While listening to the birds and waiting for my tent to dry, I tried to figure out what I have done on the AT thus far.  The answer is, not much.  I thought I had finished all of Georgia, West Virginia, and Maryland.  However, I didn't finish West Virginia.  It is the shortest distance to complete and I didn't pay enough attention to the maps to realize where the border is!  I focused on crossing the bridge over the Shenandoah River, that is not the border.  I'm okay with this.  If I choose to section hike another time, I now have an excuse to visit Harpers Ferry again.

Good morning!

There were Canada geese flying south.

Bunny!

After leaving the campground, I did a little exploring with my car for possible longterm trail parking.  I didn't find any.  I did take a short hike down a roadside trail. Once again, I forgot my trekking poles so I didn't go far.  

Rat snake

 I had to go by the Kittatinny Visitor Center in order to leave the area, I parked the car and walked across the Delaware River again.  Things are greener and the river is lower.  Walking on bridges with cars and trucks driving at highway speeds is an interesting sensation.  Bridges move with the vibrations.  They are built that way, but sometimes it makes my stomach flutter.

The waterfall is harder to see with the leaves open.

Yesterday's hike was just under ten miles. I'm feeling that today.   These shorter walks are what I needed, some movement, but not over doing it.

After that I left the Appalachian area for a different part of New Jersey.   There is an SCA event this weekend.  I have some of the most wonderful friends and family.  Bel got some of my things together and Stephanie brought them with her to the event.  I am so thankful.  After setting up camp I got to sit around and visit with friends.  I've really been missing my family and friends.  

☮

Currently listening to: Thriving With Anxiety, by David Rosmarin.

Thank you for being here and being part of my daily happy things. Stay safe!

LOPS and Words Gets Wordy

May 29th Thursday

Sometimes things don't go as planned.  That I didn't leave when I thought I would is normal for me.  Part of why I didn't leave is because I was enjoying listening to the birds, hearing the occasional fish jump, and just watching the river go by.  I may have seen a bald eagle being chased by some other, smaller birds.  It was far enough away that I can't be sure what it was.  The bird had a dark body with a white head and tail.  Somehow it seemed too small to be an eagle.  There was also a great blue heron on the opposite shore.  Whatever the eagle looking bird was, it seemed smaller than the heron.  That said, distance was definitely a factor.

Good morning, world!

Bird, poor photo, Lens and Merlin apps lead me to believe it is a brown thrasher.

Great blue heron. 

Eventually I left for my hike.  My first stop was at the bathhouse where I planned to brush my teeth by an actual sink.  Apparently the power was out, so that didn't happen.  I left for a different pitstop that was not driven by power and was stopped behind the truck cleaning out the porta potties.  After he finished up I thought I would be on my way.  When I was almost to the parking lot I had walked to yesterday to check out, the road was closed.  There was a tree down.  Instead of walking from the campground I decided “message received,"  turned around, and headed for the parking lot at Dunfield Creek.  

Road closed.

The road the campground is on has a narrow part with a light at either end to allow only one car through at a time.  Had I not had so many other delays I might have been stuck.  There was a sign about proceeding slowly because the lights weren't working (no power), but they were.  The power was back on and I made my way to the Dunfield Creek Parking lot.  I had to laugh when I got there, the same truck was cleaning out the porta potties at that location too.  The driver and I smiled at each other in recognition.

Had the road not been closed, I would have started along a different trail.  Instead, the first part of the trail I did southbound a few weeks ago.  What I hadn't done is the part of the Appalachian Trail that goes alongside Sunfish Pond.  Once I got to the north end of the pond I did a loop to circle the pond before heading back the way I came.

Dunfield Creek 

From the south end of the pond.

Those rocks are the trail.

I Zoomed in a bunch to get this photo from across part of the pond.  It is near the northern end of the pond.

From near the northern end of the pond.

I found the rock that looked like a cave.  It seems to be a place someone has built a fire.  It is only three or four feet tall.

There is a backpackers camping area before getting to the pond.  I stopped there to use the privy and had a nice conversation with the ridgerunner there.  

Back at camp I was exhausted.  After doing nothing for a short time, I gathered my energy for a shower, dinner, and watching the river.  There was a beautiful sunset, deer on the opposite shore, and some jumping fish.  Once I was settled in the tent and it was dark, the splashing like last night started.  

☮

Currently listening to: Thriving With Anxiety, by David Rosmarin.

Thank you for being here and being part of my daily happy things. Stay safe!

NJ in the Rain

 May 28th.   Wednesday 

Sometimes I have a hard time making decisions.  Currently that includes how much of New Jersey I still want to hike.  The distance between places to camp are a little far for me, at least with a heavy pack on.  Originally I was going to hike around Sunfish Pond today.  A weird thing happened though, I kept falling asleep on the way here.  I pulled in to a rest area, and would fall asleep.  Eventually, I ended up going to a campground instead of a trail.  I set up in the light rain.  Tomorrow I will hike around Sunfish Pond.  

Today wasn't all waiting for the rain to stop.  I took a walk in it, around five miles or so near the campground and the road nearby.  It wasn't raining too hard when I started out.  Eventually it rained a little heavier.  I should have put on my poncho instead of the jacket I was wearing.  Oh, well.  Things dry.

As I write this,  there is something swimming in the river by me.  I would find this interesting in the daylight.  At night, I wonder why I chose this campsite, away from others.   Whatever it is doesn't seem to be too large, so not a bear.  Probably a beaver or an otter.  I'm tired enough I think I'll be able sleep.

The pictures downloaded in the opposite order than they should have so the first picture is a little after sunset.  The river is quite lovely.  I'm curious how high the water was a few weeks ago. 

Almost dark.

Tulip tree with the flower still attached.

Waterfall

Turkey

My tent

Delaware River

Camping spot

☮

Currently listening to: Thriving With Anxiety, by David Rosmarin.

Thank you for being here and being part of my daily happy things. Stay safe!

Finished Maryland

 May 27th. Tuesday 

Maryland is done!  I have hiked, over a few days, all of the Maryland Appalachian Trail.  Some of it I slackpacked, some I backpacked.  Some places I went both north and south.  Today I hiked south so I could come back north.  It seemed like the correct direction for me to cross the Mason Dixon Line.

I took a side path and tried to find the top of Mount Dunlop.  The path seemed to go down the other side of the mountain and not to the top.  

Here are some pictures from today:

I found the trail!

Hoof prints?

Pretty bridge.

Back at PenMar State Park.
 I was there Sunday, too.

Crossing the tracks.

Crossing the Mason Dixon Line heading North!

There is a log book in that mail box.

I took a side trail to try to find Mount Dunlop.
This seems to be some kind of old foundation.

Almost there.

My car at the other end of the bridge.

☮

Currently listening to: Thriving With Anxiety, by David Rosmarin.

Thank you for being here and being part of my daily happy things. Stay safe!